Sunday, August 24, 2008

Saturday Night's All Right...

...for saving money, that is!

Mike and I sometimes visit an Italian supermarket a few miles away. We like the quality of meat and seafood there, plus the selection of cheeses and other Italian treats. But what we've discovered is that the best time to shop there is on Saturday night after 8 p.m. That is when many freshly-cooked things go on sale BOGO. Last night, I bought two 8-piece buckets of fried chicken for $4. That's 50 cents per piece of chicken! I also brought home two rotisserie chickens for half price. They offer sushi and homemade sandwiches for the same deal. (For the record, stores must sell sushi on the same day they make it, or throw it out. If I hadn't already had sushi for lunch, I would have treated myself to some for a late snack. I looooovvvve sushi.)

Okay, so, now we have enough fried chicken for a few lunches. I 'broke down' the roti chickens this way: meat good enough for people to eat, meat/skin/goop the dog and cats will enjoy and the carcasses and bones. Of course, the bones are simmering in water on the stove for broth! (I'll freeze it later.) I put some of the 'good meat' into the freezer for future use. The rest will go for enchiladas this week, and if I have any left I'll make myself some chicken salad.

My frugal tip for you is this: shop late and see if the store has any special deals! In fact, if you get there near closing, maybe you could even ask for a deal. I would bet any smart manager would say 'yes,' rather than losing money on something they have to throw out.

3 comments:

Katie said...

That's a great idea, I never even thought about what they do with their daily items. Next time I take a late night shopping trip I'll check it out.

I just wanted to say thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving your lovely comment. You are the first commenter that isn't relation or close friend, very exciting for me :). Thanks again.

Arlette said...

Good tip! Sad to say, I'm not a late night shopper and probably never will be. I poop out by early evening! LOL
Glad that you were able to find fabulous chicken bargains. You're a smart gal to be able to make use of every bit of it too.
Take care.
Aloha!

Debbie J said...

Our Food Lion marks down meat that is still in the eat by date regularly. The quality is very good, especially if you cook or freeze as soon as you get it home. I'm bad for putting it in the fridge and waiting... :o)